Introduction
The visit to this museum was carried out on the 1st of March. This museum was viewed to be appropriate for the assignment because of the close correlation between world cultures and fine arts. Fine arts speak volumes about human societies, and therefore this visit was expected to be quite informative. The museum is open throughout the year including on public holidays. The visiting hours start from 10 am to 5 pm, however, on Thursdays and Fridays, the closing time is extended to 9 pm.
Friday was viewed as a flexible day in case there was a to spend more time past 5 pm in the museum. The museum was not crowded but there was a considerable volume of visitors on that day. There were many exhibitions that were of interest to the museum. However, the replica of the Rosetta stone and a painting titled Domestic, Wild, Divine: Artists look at animals were remarkable and are the subject of this article.
Say What? How Ancient Writing Began
This exhibition can be found at the Memorial Foundation for Children Teaching Gallery. The exhibition is a replica of the Rosetta stone. It represents the early writing used by the ancient civilizations. The replica represents the very bridges to our civilization. Prior knowledge of the Rosetta stone is important for one to appreciate the significance of this exhibition. I had this prior knowledge and that is why this exhibition was remarkable to me.
After examining the replica, I began to suspect that the past civilizations must have been very advanced maybe more than we have ever imagined. At this point, the thought of why modern science has not been able to show properly and convincingly how the Egyptian pyramids were built was presenting itself as proof. I am also aware that the Rosetta stone has caused some tension between the UK and Egypt and this even raised my curiosity over the stone replica. I tried to see whether I could figure out the language on the stone replica but I could not pick anything. As I moved to the next exhibition item, I had a full conviction that the Rosetta stone was living proof of the past civilizations’ ingenuity.
Domestic, Wild, Divine: Artists Look at Animals
This exhibition can be found at the Mellon Galleries section of the museum. This exhibit has some images of animals particularly horses and an elephant. Animals have so much been part of human civilization all through the ages and therefore it makes sense when they are included in art. The impression created by the animals in this exhibition elicits a lot of reactions. The horses are shown to be on swift motions.
Each of the horses is depicted to have some colorful pieces of cloths probably tied to them. It is not easy to figure out what these pieces of clothes are meant to show in the picture. There is also an image of an elephant with its back wrapped with pieces of cloths and ropes. There is a person who sat on the back of the elephant and the elephant is in motion – walking. The image depicts the elephant to be in a joyous mood.
The exhibit in some way perfectly suited what we have been learning in the course. The world has different cultures and what is right in one culture can be completely wrong or inappropriate in another culture. For instance, in some cultures elephants are domesticated but in others, they are just wild animals. The point is, different cultures relate differently to animals.
Summary of the overall reaction
The time at the museum was exciting. I took time going through the exhibits in the museum and each exhibit provoked a lot of imaginations in me. I found some of the exhibits to be quite appealing to the eyes while others were really appealing to the mind and thoughts. The two exhibits discussed above were quite appealing to my thoughts and I took some time admiring them, and after the visit, they lingered in my mind for some time.
The two exhibits showed the creativity of different cultures to advance their living standards. My overall feeling about the visit is that museums play a very critical role in studying different cultures. The work of art has been used for a long time to preserve the values of communities and the culture of different societies. In order to fully understand the work of art and especially what an artist is trying to communicate, I recommend that one carries out a background check on the time frame which the piece of art depicts. This helps one to think and imagine relevantly in regard to what the piece of art is trying to depict.
In regard to this, I have purposed to carry out some personal research on the Rosetta stone and specifically the language that was used at the time of this stone. I believe that this might help me to appreciate the Rosetta stone by understanding its role in ancient civilizations. I am also looking forward to examining how animals have influenced different cultures over time. I am sure I will find these researches worthwhile and they will go a long way in helping me to appreciate the exhibits I saw at the museum.